getting cigarette smell out of house?

[dietpepsi]

i have a villa that some work was done while i was away, and obviously the workers smoked in my home,, there were numerous companies were in and out, and figuring out which one it was would impossible,,, enough background,, onto my problem villa smells like an ashtray, i have a very very sensitive nose! are there companies that specialize in this type work, has anyone actually experienced this and achieved success? if so who did u use?

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Clean as best you can and then rent an ozonator, also called an ozone generator to clean the air.

[Velvet]

I had a room that previous people smoked in heavily up north. I tried all kinds of things and nothing worked. Finally, I washed the walls and ceiling 2 times with vinegar etc mix. Washed the closet, the frames, the light fixtures. Steam cleaned the carpet 2x. Painted all surfaces. The room is now absolutely smoke scent free. But it took me 6 months.

[manaboutown]

Even the heating/cooling vents need to be cleaned. The tars stick to everything. The smoker or smokers who did this are total scumbags and I hope you can get reimbursed by them.

[dietpepsi]

nah not going to happen! some many in and out.

[retiredguy123]

I think that a heavy smoker can come into your house, and leave a smoke odor without even smoking in the house.

[manaboutown]

I think that a heavy smoker can come into your house, and leave a smoke odor without even smoking in the house.

Yes they do.

People that work for me who are heavy smokers forward mail to me in Priority Mail cardboard envelopes. I have learned to not take the envelopes into my house but open them in the garage and pitch them into the trash can there because as soon as I open the envelope a puff of strong stench emerges. The stench even remains in my mail so I open it at arms length after usually letting it sit out overnight. Those priority envelopes usually take three days to get to me but still stink.

[karostay]

Clean as best you can and then rent an ozonator, also called an ozone generator to clean the air.


Amazon Robot Check (https://www.amazon.com/Enerzen-Commercial-Industrial-Deodorizer-Sterilizer/dp/B00JAP7388)

[dewilson58]

Ozone Generator; Clean Air, Residential Air Purifier (https://www.air-zone.com/store/products/xt-800/)


Used for years..............Highly recommend.

[ckcapaul]

Ozone Generator; Clean Air, Residential Air Purifier (https://www.air-zone.com/store/products/xt-800/)


Used for years..............Highly recommend.

Used one in a vehicle we bought, works wonders

[tophcfa]

Get ride of and/or replace any carpets and other cloth appolestered furniture.

[Graspher]

Purchase ground coffee - lay out paper towels in various places in each room. Pour lines of coffee across each towel - leave it for a week or two or however long it takes.

I’ve eliminated smoke from cars, homes and boats using that technique.

[EdFNJ]

Ozone Generator; Clean Air, Residential Air Purifier (https://www.air-zone.com/store/products/xt-800/)

Used for years..............Highly recommend.


Interesting! Are they silent or at least quiet? My my is a vegetarian and when she roasts, cooks or bakes cauliflower, brussels sprouts or broccoli I have to leave the house. That might be the answer to make both her and I happy she eats that stuff. For some reason, even when reheated the smell nauseates me.

How long would it take to "clear the air"?

Edit: Just read this: "Please note that ALL ozone generators on the market are meant to be used in unoccupied spaces" so that may not work. Oh well.

[paulat585]

In the past I have used flea bombs to get rid of renters' stench. They are aerosols that you set off in each room. You must leave the house for a few hours. (I run out.) A side benefit--if you have fleas, they are now dead.

[raindrop49]

Years ago many people smoked in the houses when we played cards. After they left I would put dishes of vinegar out & the next day the smoke smell was gone. My daughter just got a used car, did the same with it & the smell was almost gone in a few days.

[GoodGuysAir]

Many people have mentioned ozone generator. Ozone generator have been used by professional restoration companies for years. Fire departments used to have them many years ago in the area I was from that used to leave in homes to get the smell of a fire out of a building. I have worked in homes that were were previously in a fire and only noticed the charred joists or studs. Ozone generators were used to get the smell out. If you google getting smoke out of cars you will see information about cleaning everything but again it will be mentioned to use a ozone generator.

Be careful! Ozone is good in the upper atmosphere but not safe for us above certain levels. Read instructions or use professionals.

[bjzimmer3517]

An ozone generator will do the job. Put enough ozone generators in the house to cover the square footage of the house, based on the capacity of the generators. Turn on the ozonators, close up the house, and vacate the premises for 3 days to let them do the job. After three days, you will need to open up the house to dissipate the ozone before breathing it substantially. This method worked for a smoke laden house I bought a few years back. (They covered up the smoke smell with the smell of freshly baked cookies when showing the house.) No other cleaning or painting was needed. I have used an ozone generator to remove house odors since then.

[msilagy]

This is the correct answer. Call a company specializing in odor removal. It will work. Cleaning yourself is tedious and does not guarantee results.

[Triley809]

Put vinegar and a sponge in multiple bowls around the house leave them for a Few days and it will remove the smell. This is the same technique they use to remove the smell of death,it works! I have personally used this method for cigarette smoke.

[greenflash245]

confront the contractors and find the perps. then demand that they clean your place up for you

[alehew]

You need to repaint and use kilz first. Then shampoo carpets. Its everywhere. We had a condo the lady was a smoker and we tore everything out. Contractors are not suppose to smoke on jobs

[dewilson58]

An ozone generator will do the job. Put enough ozone generators in the house to cover the square footage of the house, based on the capacity of the generators. Turn on the ozonators, close up the house, and vacate the premises for 3 days to let them do the job. After three days, you will need to open up the house to dissipate the ozone before breathing it substantially. This method worked for a smoke laden house I bought a few years back. (They covered up the smoke smell with the smell of freshly baked cookies when showing the house.) No other cleaning or painting was needed. I have used an ozone generator to remove house odors since then.


Vacating for 3 days is not necessary with some programs.

[dewilson58]

Interesting! Are they silent or at least quiet? My my is a vegetarian and when she roasts, cooks or bakes cauliflower, brussels sprouts or broccoli I have to leave the house. That might be the answer to make both her and I happy she eats that stuff. For some reason, even when reheated the smell nauseates me.

How long would it take to "clear the air"?

Edit: Just read this: "Please note that ALL ozone generators on the market are meant to be used in unoccupied spaces" so that may not work. Oh well.


Very quite.


There are different settings from: Zap the area (which is leave for 90 minutes, plants are fine) to lower settings that can run around the clock and you can stay in the house.


Research more.

[BettyBoop1952]

We have used salt lamps purchased at the Salt store off Fennel on 441/27. They seemed to work.

[esteelenov]

I agree about an Ozonator. I was in sales in my former life and traveled and stayed in motels and hotels. One time in particular I was given a hotel room that reeked of cigar smoke. When I complained that I always requested a non-smoking room, I was told to give them a couple of hours and have dinner on them. When I arrived back and entered my room it was perfect. It actually smelled like it does after a thunder storm with no trace of cigar smoke. They had used an ozonator.

[Spalumbos62]

i have a villa that some work was done while i was away, and obviously the workers smoked in my home,, there were numerous companies were in and out, and figuring out which one it was would impossible,,, enough background,, onto my problem villa smells like an ashtray, i have a very very sensitive nose! are there companies that specialize in this type work, has anyone actually experienced this and achieved success? if so who did u use?

Place a small bowl of white vinegar, or a few, out overnight. I do this when the guys have a cigar in basement....it works!

[kathyard]

If you are looking for a professional to remove the smoke smell from your home, I would call my insurance company. They will have names of companies that they use after a fire to remove smoke smell.

[NavyVet]

Interesting! Are they silent or at least quiet? My my is a vegetarian and when she roasts, cooks or bakes cauliflower, brussels sprouts or broccoli I have to leave the house. That might be the answer to make both her and I happy she eats that stuff. For some reason, even when reheated the smell nauseates me.


LOL! Good to know that I'm not the only one that can't stand certain food odors just as much as obnoxious tobacco smoke. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, chili, and coffee literally make me gag. To me, they smell worse than skunk odor. And I never cook fish at home.
I use aromatherapy diffusers and have had good luck with them. They are not expensive and worth a shot.

[Icegurumom]

i have a villa that some work was done while i was away, and obviously the workers smoked in my home,, there were numerous companies were in and out, and figuring out which one it was would impossible,,, enough background,, onto my problem villa smells like an ashtray, i have a very very sensitive nose! are there companies that specialize in this type work, has anyone actually experienced this and achieved success? if so who did u use?

Put crockpot FULL of onions and water. Leave cover off, run 24 hours or until you feel it needs replacing. Throw out and repeat.
And the onions will be black. Repeat 4 or 5 times as needed.
My smoke smell was in a car (more confined) so you may need to move to rooms where it it worst.

[OhioBuckeye]

i have a villa that some work was done while i was away, and obviously the workers smoked in my home,, there were numerous companies were in and out, and figuring out which one it was would impossible,,, enough background,, onto my problem villa smells like an ashtray, i have a very very sensitive nose! are there companies that specialize in this type work, has anyone actually experienced this and achieved success? if so who did u use?
Why would you let anybody but family come in your home when you're not there, are you nuts. Haven't you heard or read about contractors coming in homes when you are not there & just went out for the evening & coming home to find your home has been robbed. Personally I think you just learned a valuable lesson about being home to make sure things like these smokers stinking up your home. Air purifiers won't get the stink out of your house. All these things do is re-filter the air in your home, it doesn't take the stink out of your carpet or curtains if you have curtains. People that smoke think whole house filter purify everything ,they're used to the smoke smells. Your better off to just open all of your windows & let the air blow through your home during the daylight hours. Good luck, hope this was a lesson to you about not being there when work is being done. You really know you can't blame the workers for not smoking because it sounded like you never told them that they couldn't. I do sympathize with you though! Nothing worse than making your home smell like a BAR.

[Darield]

We had a problem with a car that a family member smoked in. We tried everything for weeks so we could sell it. Finally I called a company that does fire restoration and they used a product that was like a smoke bomb. We opened the car a day later and the smell was completely gone. So my suggestion is, call a fire restoration company.

[PugMom]

wash draperies, shampoo rugs, & place fans to circulate the air. it may take a day or 2,...or 3

[EdFNJ]

Very quite.

There are different settings from: Zap the area (which is leave for 90 minutes, plants are fine) to lower settings that can run around the clock and you can stay in the house.

Research more.
Actually I read a number of articles and info on the manufacturer's websites and they all say to leave when it is running. The last paragraph below I found most interesting. Copied from this article: Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners | Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) | US EPA (https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners)

Conclusions

Whether in its pure form or mixed with other chemicals, ozone can be harmful to health.
When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and, throat irritation. It may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma as well as compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections.
Some studies show that ozone concentrations produced by ozone generators can exceed health standards even when one follows manufacturer’s instructions.
Many factors affect ozone concentrations including the amount of ozone produced by the machine(s), the size of the indoor space, the amount of material in the room with which ozone reacts, the outdoor ozone concentration, and the amount of ventilation. These factors make it difficult to control the ozone concentration in all circumstances.
Available scientific evidence shows that, at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone is generally ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution.
The concentration of ozone would have to greatly exceed health standards to be effective in removing most indoor air contaminants. In the process of reacting with chemicals indoors, ozone can produce other chemicals that themselves can be irritating and corrosive.


Basically it states if the amount of ozone produced is NOT HARMFUL then it is not useful. So basically very low settings don't do any good.

[rdwalls]

Rent an ozone generator.

[Doro22]

Whenever we stir fry onions or any other strong scent I then boil a saucepan of vinegar. After it boils & creates steam , I carry it from room to room. The actual vinegar smell quickly disappears in a few minutes. I have also read online that you can add an essential oil like lemon to the vinegar. If I forget to do that after cooking strong oders I wake up and can’t go back to sleep. So...I have been known to get up at 2 a.m. and boil vinegar. You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.